07 October 2013 - Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Jesus I. Yabes called on the global community to adopt a human rights-based approach to the problem of trafficking in persons, one which would not criminalize the acts of trafficked persons but recognize their situation as victims. He also called for more international cooperation in assisting migrants in crisis situations, after the Philippine experience in repatriating citizens situated in places around the world affected by conflict and natural disasters.
Undersecretary Yabes conveyed his remarks as a panelist at a roundtable discussion on the protection of human rights of migrants, which was convened on October 03 as part of the ongoing activities at the United Nations (UN) High Level Dialogue on Migration and Development being held at UN Headquarters in New York.
He explained, “The Philippine Government seriously strives to address the issue of trafficking in persons, due to our belief in respecting the inherent rights and dignity of all human beings. To this end, the Philippines signed and ratified the UN Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Protocol. And, to implement this, we enacted an anti-trafficking law that advocates a human rights-based, and victim welfare centered approach to trafficking in persons.”
On addressing the needs of migrants in crisis situations, the Undersecretary stressed that “Certain challenges still need to be overcome in crisis situations, which pertain to the ease of movement of migrant Filipinos, issues with employers/companies, and the strict exit requirements from the host country, among others. Clearly, we cannot face these challenges alone. The Philippines needs the cooperation and assistance of local authorities, other governments, international organizations and the Filipino community overseas.”
The Philippines was invited to serve as a panellist at the roundtable by co-chairs United States and Mexico due to our country’s acknowledged standing before the international community as a leader in the advocacy for migrant workers’ rights and its strong efforts to assist its millions of citizens living and working overseas. END